Czech floods
June 26, 2009
Six of the people drowned while four further people died from medical complaints like heart attacks, with doctors unable to reach and treat them quickly enough because of the floods.
"It happened very quickly, people had no time to do anything," said Eduard Kavala the mayor of the village of Belotin.
The area around the town of Novy Jicin in the northeasterm part of the country was worst hit by the floods. During the night the water rose seven meters above normal levels, but began receding by morning.
"Several houses in Jesenik-nad-Odrou were washed away by the floodwaters. In one building, firefighters saved about 20 people," said fire department spokesman Petr Kudela.
Approximately 2,000 people were left without gas and stretches of railway line have been closed by the floods.
Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer summoned a meeting of the national security council and weather forecasters predicted more heavy rainfall in the days ahead.
Parts of Hungary were also on flood alert after three days of heavy rain and the Danube rose to its highest level in more than four decades.
Train services were disrupted in Upper Silesia and 50 people were evacuated near Krakow in neighboring Poland due to the flooding.
av/dpa/AFP
Editor: Mark Hallam